Stationery cabinet



April 21, 1931. F. w. NEELY STATIONERY CABINET Filed sept. 9, 1929 22a Q67@ 07: @667 //V@ m. ff @ya rated order.

Patented Apr. 21,1931

PATENT oFFicE FRED w. Neemt, or cHicAGo, ILLINOIS STATIONERY CABINET position for insertion into the machine.

' i0 A further object of the invention isto provide the novel cabinet with means to support the paper sheets in a position most nearly to the angle naturally imparted to the sheets for insertion behind the typewriter platen.

tolocate the novel supply cabinet in a position directly behind the typewriter, whereby to v place the cabinetcontents within easy reach of the typist. Y

j Another object of the invention is to build the novel cabinet with a series of shelvesto receive in succession batches of the first sheets, the carbon sheets and the second sheets, whereby to disposethem in close y.yetsepa- A significant object ofthe invention is to v provide the novel cabinet with an extension j tray which givesy more immediate access to the sheets when manifolding.

A final but nevertheless importantlobject of the invention is to design the novelcabinet along lines of extreme simplicityvv and compactness, whereby to render the article easy to handle and attendand inexpensive to produce. l

Vlith the above objects in view, and any N others which may suggest themselves from the description and claims to. follow, abetter vunderstanding of the invention may bev- Ai310 Vgained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichi A t Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the novel cabinet in connection with atypewriter desk, the latter being fragmentally shownand 1 .45 partly in section;

Figure 2 is a section onthe 1ine'2-2 of p Figurel; and

Figure 3 1s a detail section taken onthe 'line it-Bof Figure 1.

VIn they routiney ofthe average stenographer' A still further object of the invention isy lbacky of that this work, krepeated each time aVA set of *tion M and a final upward Application led `September 9, 1929. ySerial No. 391,436.

or typist, the grouping or assembling of the paper sheets preparatory to their insertion into the typewriter is atask which requires considerable attention, care and time. Usually, the first sheets are found in one of the desk drawers, the second sheets in another drawer, and carbon sheets in a place perhaps more ac cessible, such as the top of the desk or a tray or basket. It will beevident that, to properly group a set of sheets, miscellaneous movements must be undergone by the operator to collect'and assemble the sheets; and further movements must be undergonel to jog them into alinement and to transport them in a body to the entrance into the typewriter in the platen. Itwill be appreciated.

papers is inserted into the typewriter, consumes a considerable portion of the operators working day, not to speak of the nervous strain incident to the assembling'task when the' sheets arernot readily found where eX- pected or when they group or jog into line withdiliiculty. It has been my intention to relievethe operator of the details in conbeing'- approximatelysimilar in angle to the topand tting in wall grooves 8 to a point near their Jfront ends'where they areof reduced width to fit vbetween the walls, as clearly shown in Figure 2. At this site, the shelves are made with a short horizontal porn bend or lip 7l); also midway between its sides each shelf'is segmentally out out in the corner between the section 7a and the bend'b, as indicated at 7c.

The-novel cabinet is designed to rest upon the back portion 9 of the typewriter desk 10, this `position being; a short distance to the rear ofthetypewriter 11; it may be of advantage, however, to insert between the ca -bnv 1.00

net and the top of the desk a special base or platform 12 with slideways 12o along which the cabinet may be moved toward or from the typewriter to suit the reach of the operator. However, itis essential that the bottom of the cabinet propel.' be slightly above the entrance. guide 13 of the typewriter.

In equipping the novel cabinet with a supply of paper sheets, I place the first sheets, such as letter-heads or originals in inverted position and in a sizable batch upon the lowermost shelf 7 of the cabinet; next I place a similar batch of carbon sheets, sensitive face up, upon the second shelf; next I place a batch of copy sheets upon the third she-lf and further, I alternate upon succeeding shelves with batches of carbon sheets and copy or second sheets. I have only shown a few shelves, these being suflici ent for ordinary purposes.

In the use of the device, the operator picks the topmost first sheet with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand b y way of the shelf recess 7c and withdraws the sheet until it may be gripped by the thumb and forefinger of the left hand; then the same process deposits a carbon sheet into the left hand; and finally the repetition of the process secures a copy sheet in the left hand together with the previously withdrawn sheets. This assembly makes a set of one original, a carbon, and a copy; however, if more copies are required back of the original, the collecting process is repeated from the same two carbon and ycopy shelves until the proper number of units is assembled into the set. Thus, the reach of the right hand to collect for more copy units than one is no longer or farther than in the single unit case. Both hands may now withdraw the assembly of units and bring the same forward and down over the typewriter guide 13, to enter the typewriter back oaf the platen. It is thus seen that once the batches of sheets are inserted into the cabinet-preferably from the rear-in the proper order and facing direction, the operator is relieved at the time the supply is needed of any concern as to the manner of assembling the sheets; also, the sheets are all in a position just behind the typewriter and in line with each other for natural assembly. Further, the inclined position. of the sheet batches makes it easy for the sheets to issue as withdrawn and t-o assume the downward course necessary for entering into the typewriter.

The function of the frontal bend or lip 7b is obviously to serve as an end guard or stop for the batch of sheets; and the horizontal portion 7a of the shelf has for its object to induce the forward shift of the sheet batch from the top, as clearly shown in one of these shelf illustrations. so that it will be easier to pick off the top sheet of each batch with the forefinger, since such sheet will be in the foremost position.

In the case of manifolding, that is, where a relatively large number of copy units are required, I provide a special tray 14 in the bottom of the cabinet. This tray is exten* sible forwardly to a position over the typewriter, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, and is designed to furnish a rest for each unit as it is withdrawn from the cabinet. Or, the tray may be filled with sheets in single order, starting with the first sheet and with sets of carbon and copy sheets in alternation until the proper number of units have been built up. The object of the tray 14 is not only to serve as a rest for the assembly of sheets, but to aline them as they are grouped without eXtra eli'ort and place them closer to the operator. lith the grouping done, the operator simply pushes the tray back until it clears the typewriter platen and bodily removes the batch of sheets for insertion behind the platen as before. It will be noted the incline of the tray 14 is materially less than that of the other shelves, in order that the tray may be placed at rest in any position without its sliding forward by gravity.

The front end of the tray 14 is also cut out in the middle as indicated at 41a for a handy view of the front ends of the sheets to see that they are even; and such end also has an upbent lip 14h to limit these sheets. The sides of the tray are cut in, as indicated at 140, near the front end for facility in liftin out the batch of sheets with the hands. t is preferable that the tray be extended a short distance from the cabinet when the sheets are to be lifted out, and this position may be fixed by causing the tray to be made with a slot 14d engaging a tongue 5a projected upwardly from the bottom of the cabinet; andv this tongue may also form a stop for the tray when it is fully inserted in the cabinet, to prevent the tray from sliding out.

It will be seen that the novel cabinet is an accessory which relieves the operator of time and energy consuming details in the task of assembling and training the paper sheets into 4the proper order and typewriter entrance; and the cabinet also serves as a storage container of ample capacity for routine needs; and finally, it is conducive to better speed, less confusion and greater eficiency on the part of the operator. For a better approach to the shelves with the hands, the shelves are built to progressively recede from the front in an upward course.

I claim l. In combination, a support adapted to be positioned behind a typewriter, the upper surface of said support being higher than any point on said typewriter, a cabinet on said support, said cabinet comprising a plurality of inclined shelves for storing paper and carbon sheets inthe order in which the same are to be assembled prior to feeding into said typewriter, said shelves having lips at the forward edges thereof to retain the paper thereon, and an inclined eXtensible assembling tray disposed below said shelves for receiving said sheets, the degree of inclination of said assembling tray being less than the 

